Arduino development on Ubuntu PPC (and command-line Arduino)
The Adruino Diecimila board supposedly has circuit protection to ensure that one doesn’t fry their computer accidentally, but just in case, I figured it might be better to use a spare machine for my Arduino hacking. I happened to have an older PowerBook that fits the bill perfectly; however, I run Ubuntu PPC on it, and it didn’t take long for me to realize that neither the Arduino OS X or Linux builds would work on it.
Not to be discouraged, some quick googling led to the instructions on patching up the OS X release for Ubuntu PPC. However, a little more googling dug up something much more interesting: Arduino from the Command Line.
It’s not obvious while using the Arduino/Wiring IDE, but you’re really just writing C without includes and prototypes. When you save, the IDE patches up your code, then passes it to gcc-avr for compiling and avrdude for flashing. Therefore, if you’re so inclined (or happen to prefer vi and be on a non-supported platform), one can simply add the extra C++ manually and build/flash yourself.
The docs on this (linked above) tell the story, but they’re a little out of date (since they reference release 0007.) You still need to “sudo apt-get install gcc-avr avr-libc avrdude”, but after that, download the “Arduino 0009 installer for Linux” [the newest at the time of writing] instead, uncompress it, and look in “lib/targets/arduino/” for the Makefile and libraries you need. Read the comments in the Makefile — they explain it all quite well.
Once you stash the libraries somewhere handy, starting a new project goes like this:
- Create a new directory to work in
- Write your Arduino code as a *.cpp instead of a *.pde file
- Copy and modify the Makefile for your project
- Run ‘make’ to compile it
- Run ‘make upload’ to flash your code to the Arduino
It’s not as simple as the IDE, but it works, it lets you use any text editor you want, and gets you a little closer to whats going on behind the scenes.
For those curious, I’ve included an example of how the supplied “Blink” sample looks once modified for command-line building. It’s a bit longer… but still manageable:
/*
* Blink (modified for command-line building)
*
* The basic Arduino example. Turns on an LED on for one second,
* then off for one second, and so on... We use pin 13 because,
* depending on your Arduino board, it has either a built-in LED
* or a built-in resistor so that you need only an LED.
*
* http://www.arduino.cc/en/Tutorial/Blink
*/
#include <WProgram.h>
void setup();
void loop();
int main();
int ledPin = 13; // LED connected to digital pin 13
void setup() // run once, when the sketch starts
{
pinMode(ledPin, OUTPUT); // sets the digital pin as output
}
void loop() // run over and over again
{
digitalWrite(ledPin, HIGH); // sets the LED on
delay(1000); // waits for a second
digitalWrite(ledPin, LOW); // sets the LED off
delay(1000); // waits for a second
}
int main() {
init();
setup();
for (;;)
loop();
return 0;
}
6 Responses to “Arduino development on Ubuntu PPC (and command-line Arduino)”
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A few books I'm reading now:
-
What Got You Here Won't Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful
-
The Simplicity Survival Handbook: 32 Ways To Do Less And Accomplish More
A few books I'd recommend:
-
Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science
by Charles Wheelan -- A fantastic overview of the field of Economics. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this book.
-
A Short History of Nearly Everything
by Bill Bryson -- a true tale of scientific thinking throughout history. You'll be amazed by how much we still don't know.
-
Freakonomics [Revised and Expanded]: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything
by Steven D. Levitt, Stephen J. Dubner -- a fun read offering a somewhat different way of looking at society. Answers questions like "Why do drug dealers still live with their moms?", and what qualities in a parent matter for the success of a child later in life?
-
Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
by David Allen. I'm a bit of a GTD freak since reading this, but productivity == $$ (whether you can simply get more work done in a given time, or work less by focusing on the right tasks.)
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:38 am
“but you’re really just writing C++ without includes and prototypes.”
I had absolutely not realised that. Goodness!
December 16th, 2007 at 4:32 pm
I’ve got a problem, this is what I get:
make
avr-gcc -c -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -gstabs -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -std=gnu99 /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c -o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.o
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring_private.h:30,
de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:26:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/signal.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This header file is obsolete. Use .”
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring_private.h:31,
de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:26:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/delay.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This file has been moved to .”
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:65: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:66: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:67: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:73: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:74: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:75: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:81: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:82: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.c:83: aviso: la inicialización crea un entero desde un puntero sin una conversión
avr-gcc -c -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -gstabs -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -std=gnu99 /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.c -o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.o
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring_private.h:30,
de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.c:25:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/signal.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This header file is obsolete. Use .”
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring_private.h:31,
de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.c:25:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/delay.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This file has been moved to .”
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.c:196:2: aviso: no hay caractér de fin de línea al final del fichero
avr-gcc -c -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -gstabs -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -std=gnu99 /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.c -o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.o
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.c:29:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/signal.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This header file is obsolete. Use .”
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring_private.h:31,
de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.c:34:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/delay.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This file has been moved to .”
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.c:40:1: aviso: se redefinió “MCUCR”
En el fichero incluído de /usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/iom168.h:36,
de /usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/io.h:278,
de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.c:27:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/iomx8.h:297:1: aviso: esta es la ubicación de la definición previa
avr-g++ -c -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os led.cpp -o led.o
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WProgram.h:6,
de led.cpp:12:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/avr/signal.h:36:2: aviso: #warning “This header file is obsolete. Use .”
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WProgram.h:8,
de led.cpp:12:
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.h:60:1: aviso: se redefinió “abs”
En el fichero incluído de /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WProgram.h:1,
de led.cpp:12:
/usr/lib/gcc/avr/4.2.2/../../../../avr/include/stdlib.h:118:1: aviso: esta es la ubicación de la definición previa
avr-g++ -c -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.cpp -o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o
avr-g++ -c -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WRandom.cpp -o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WRandom.o
avr-gcc -mmcu=atmega168 -I. -gstabs -DF_CPU=16000000 -I/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs -Os -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -std=gnu99 /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/pins_arduino.o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/wiring.o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WInterrupts.o led.o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o /home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/WRandom.o –output led.elf
led.o: In function `loop’:
led.cpp:(.text+0×6): undefined reference to `digitalWrite’
led.cpp:(.text+0×1c): undefined reference to `digitalWrite’
led.o: In function `setup’:
led.cpp:(.text+0×34): undefined reference to `pinMode’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::printNumber(unsigned long, unsigned char)’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0xe): undefined reference to `printIntegerInBase’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::print(unsigned char)’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×2a): undefined reference to `printByte’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::print(char)’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×32): undefined reference to `printByte’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::print(char const*)’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×14e): undefined reference to `printString’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::flush()’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×16a): undefined reference to `serialFlush’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::read()’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×170): undefined reference to `serialRead’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::available()’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×176): undefined reference to `serialAvailable’
/home/skormel/programacion/arduino/arduino_libs/HardwareSerial.o: In function `HardwareSerial::begin(long)’:
HardwareSerial.cpp:(.text+0×182): undefined reference to `beginSerial’
make: *** [led.elf] Error 1
December 16th, 2007 at 4:33 pm
What can I do?? It seens like a linker error, isn’t it?
December 17th, 2007 at 10:22 am
Yikes. The bits to look at first are the “This header file is obsolete”, “This file has been moved to…”, and “undefined reference to…” warnings. When I first started playing with Arduino from the command line, the key bits were to (1) ensure that I had the latest libraries; (2) ensure that I was building for the right processor (ie., building for the atmega168 since I have a Diecimila); and (3) ensure that the compiler could find the Arduino libraries.
February 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm
I installed the SimpleMessageSystem and it works, sort of. I can run ’screen’ and get AD
values. I prefer connected mode, for Data Acquisition. I get data using ’screen’ as shown
in the ‘Linux TTY’ page at arduino.cc. But I have no luck w/bash:
stty {all those parms}
echo “d a” > /dev/ttyUSB0;read < /dev/ttyUSB0;echo $reply
Then I could convert to CommaSeparatedValues for import to your_fave_spreadsheet.
When I bot this unit I thought the point was Data Acq/Control. No, it’s apparently
a toy for programmers. Still trying. Anyone got pointers? Thanks.
February 11th, 2008 at 1:44 pm
I have developed a method to communicate with the SimpleMessageSystem on my Diecimila,
under linux using shell scripts. It isn’t polished, but it is functional, and I would
appreciate comments. Try it! wget http://207.14.167.161/SMS1.tgz . The scripts look odd
because they contain ^Ms. Use vi to examine the files.